Montana Color 2007

This doesn't happen every day, but the Polson Local is meeting an empty grain train at-the top of Evaro this misty morning.

Assigned to RC yard service.

Schilling Local pulls past aÜmoaded Boardman coal train.

Most people come to MT to watch the wildlife, not trains...but in MT you can do both at the same time.

C-BKMSPB is headed west across MRL.

Night Gas, with setout for Paradise, grinds uphill on the 10th Sub out of Missoula.

Nnght Gas is wrapped around itself climbing up to Evaro.

C-SCMCEC is departing Missoula Yard. There were many BN/EMD SD60's running over MRL this visit.

C-SCMCEC moving at track speed.

Headed out of Arlee on the 10th Sub.

C-SCMCEC rounding the curve right off the edge of I-90 at Ninemile.

C-SCMCEC westbound over MRL.

Loaded grain train on MRL

Train has just left the 10th Sub headed up the 11th.

Train has just left the 10th Sub headed up the 11th.

Headed back to the 10th Sub from Polson.

Headed back to the 10th Sub from Polson.

Night Gas Local climbs up the 10th Sub away from Missoula.

Night Gas Local snakes along the Clark Fork River headed to Pipeline at Thompson Falls.

ML is crossing the Clark Fork River & ducking into the siding at West Bonner.

ML emerges from Nimrod Tunnel

ML passing the famous barn near the west end of Jens.

DENTAC with a nice assortment of power today.

BNSF's Butte local is making their interchange while MRL's ML waits in the clear.

Departing Garrison for Butte. This is the tangent BNSF will not give up to MRL in order to keep MRL from having a direct link to UP (at Silver Bow).

Night Gas departing Missoula Yard.

Night Gas is making a trip "down the river" (4th Sub) to avoid wildfires up on the 10th.

Night Gas is making a trip "down the river" (4th Sub) to avoid wildfires up on the 10th.

Night Gas sweeping around the Clark Fork River headed to Thompson Falls.

Spokane-Laurel manifest departing Missoula Yard.

Night Gas sweeping around the Clark Fork River headed to Thompson Falls.

Night Gas at West Eddy.

Night Gas is slowing for the Conoco switch at Pipeline, just east of Thompson Falls. Time 2055hrs approx & yes, that is sunlight.

Spokane-Laurel manifest departing Missoula Yard.

Spokane-Laurel crossing the Clark Fork River by Milltown Dam.

Postcard shot from Big Sky Country.

This is the pedestrian walkway over the east end of Missoula Yard the local paper declared you HAVE to sit at & watch trains, if only once, in order to become a true "Missoulian".

C-SCMCEC running over MRL at Nimrod Tunnel with two of each phase of BN's SD60M fleet. This was the last stand for the 60's in their as-delivered number sequence, all have since been renumbered into the 8100's.

They just blend in with the scenery, don't they? A taste of the way things could have been if BN held on to this line a bit longer.

Sitting on the east leg of the wye.

While it's not entirely evident with the haze, there is nothing but MRL & BN power seen here. First, C-SCMCEC is headed east passing a set of engines set out on the wye while in the background, ML has tied down their train (with MRL SD70Ace) and cranked up a BN Geep sitting in the yard, which they were forced to use to perform unadvertised & unannounced switching that the BNSF crew left undone for ML's pickup.

ML is easing down from the yard with a cut of cars, for brake testing purposes, to pick up a set of helpers.